Inspired by Dango Daikazoku and Kokoro no Jutsu by Kyle Landry.

"Get it together, Eli," Nico practically demanded, hands on her hips and lips pursed in irritation.

The blonde stared at Nico in surprise before she slammed her hands on the desk. "Don't tell me to calm down," she replied.

"I didn't!" the raven-haired argued.

"Would you two stop it?" Nozomi groaned, head in her hands. She slowly looked up, eyes red and dark circles around them. "You're giving me a headache."

"We're giving you a headache?" the raven-haired snarled behind clenched teeth. "Did you see what we have to study by next week?"

Eli sighed, trying to read the same page she has been reading for the past hour now. The material was no joke; if she couldn't even get it, what are the chances Nico would.

"Okay, break," the blonde stated, standing to stretch as she walked towards Nozomi's kitchen.

"We just had one," Nico reminded, eyebrows furrowed.

"Relax, Nicocchi," the older girl said, also standing up to follow her partner. "We should take our time with this, not rush to put everything in."

The raven-haired groaned, resting her forehead on the table. "This is all-or-nothing," she muttered, "if I fail even one exam, I'm screwed and I won't be able to graduate."

"Well, you should've been studying harder this whole time," Eli commented, pouring tea for all of them as Nozomi went through the cabinets for snacks; the shorter girl glared at her. "You'll do fine, Nico; you have been studying with us as much as possible."

Nico crossed her arms, leaning back into the chair. "Yeah; I've hardly seen Maki-chan all month," she remarked with a pout.

Nozomi tried not to laugh, but failed with her smile. "You're cute, Nicocchi," she commented; the raven-haired stuck her tongue out in response. "Maki-chan is probably busy too."

"She is," the raven-haired sighed as the two other girls came back, setting down the tea and snacks. "She's been practicing more so I think it's best I'm busy studying so I don't bother her."

Nozomi hummed with a smile. "So she decided to continue competing?" The shorter girl nodded as she sipped on the tea. "How nice; I'm looking forward to hearing her play again."

"Me too," Nico smiled.

Eli cleared her throat before her light blue eyes made contact with her partner's turquoise ones. "So Nico," the blonde started, putting down her cup. "Have you figured things out?"

The raven-haired looked between her two friends, eyes darting back and forth in contemplation. "Maybe," she replied, hands cupping the tea. "I mean, hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Nozomi repeated. "Do you not believe you made the right choice?"

"I wouldn't know until I've actually done it," the raven-haired answered, subconsciously flipping through pages in her textbook.

"Done…what?" the taller girl asked.

Realizing she said too much, Nico clenched her jaw tight to stop her from saying any more. She stuffed her mouth with the crackers as an excuse not to say anything, slowly chewing to stall for more time.

"I guess we'll never find out," Nozomi said, resuming to study instead; Eli followed her lead, looking down at her textbook before flipping to the next page.

The raven-haired appreciated her friends' respect for her privacy, reading the first line of the page she had stopped on. She was already nervous just thinking about it and all the possible ways it could end. But as of right now, she had to focus on graduating because Maki would beat her up if she didn't…or worse, have to leave her because what Nishikino wanted to end up with someone who couldn't graduate from high school the first time.

Nico sighed loudly, sliding down her chair; the two other girls grinned to hide their laughs, continuing to read.

Two more weeks. Just two more weeks.

Maki sat still, her fingers lightly pressing on the keyboard of the school's piano. She looked down at the old thing before her eyes flickered to the music sheets sitting in front of her and then back down in a matter of a second. It felt a little unfamiliar to her after avoiding it for so long and it frustrated her that nothing was coming to her despite spending the last two days in front it.

She lifted her hands away, resting them at her sides with a heavy sigh; she slowly closed the keyboard before putting away the music sheets within her bag, zipping it up before the door slid open.

"I found you," Eli said with a calm smile; she stood at the threshold with her arms crossed and although she looked well put together, Maki could see the dark circles around her eyes.

"Here I am," the redhead replied in monotone.

The older girl blinked in surprise, not used to any kind of playfulness from Maki, but she quickly giggled at her attempt. "I guess Nico is rubbing off on you," she commented before stepping into the room.

Maki cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment before asking, "What brings you here? I thought you were studying with Nozomi and Nico-chan."

"I'm meeting them later," she replied as she stopped beside the instrument, looking down at the first-year. "I had some Student Council things to take care of."

"But you're not the president anymore?" the redhead said, eyebrow cocked.

Eli nervously chuckled, scratching the back of her neck. "Well, the current president needed some help figuring things out."

"You mean Honoka?" Maki stated.

The third-year grinned. "Yeah, I mean Honoka," she admitted, her hands grazing the piano. "I heard you playing from down the hall so I thought I'd come to say hi."

"Hi," the younger girl suddenly said, not sarcastically nor sentimentally.

Eli held back a snort of laughter, smiling from ear to ear. "You're something else, Maki," she stated, "I don't know whether it comes from Nico or if you two are just the same."

"Honestly, I don't want it to be either way."

"May I?" The blonde gestured to the piano bench; Maki nodded before scooting over enough for them both to sit. Eli sat down, scanning the huge instrument before saying, "It's amazing that you can play such a thing."

"Just takes a lot of practice," the first-year stated, slowly running a hand through her hair.

"Frustrating?" Maki looked at the girl beside her before looking away when she realized how close they were actually sitting; the older girl's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "What?"

Why is she so dense?

"Sometimes," the redhead finally replied. "I'm having a bit of a hard time getting everything together after so long."

The third-year nodded in acknowledgement. "Must be," she agreed before opening the fallboard. "Would you mind playing a song for me?"

"Eh?"

Eli turned to the redhead with a grin. "Nozomi and I were just talking about it; we haven't heard you play in a while," she told her.

"Uh…I mean…" She took a deep breath. "Sure…I can play something."

The blonde perked up in excitement, grabbing her phone before asking, "You mind if I record this?" Maki stared back; Eli chuckled. "It's for Nozomi; I think she'd love to hear it."

"O – okay."

Maki placed her hands on the keys, filing her brain for the perfect song to play at this moment. Finding a song, she pressed the first key followed by the next and the one after that. It felt simple like walking or talking; the melody flowed from her mind to her fingers, pressing each key with great memorization.

It started off slow and quiet, filling up the room with soft notes. A minute into the song, Maki picked up the pace just a little, the song getting louder. She could see Eli's eyes widen from her peripheral but that didn't stop her flow as she continued playing without missing a beat.

She smiled at the way the blonde stared at her hands, following them with focus. It was kind of cute, how interested the older girl was, but of course, Maki would never say such a thing. Another minute in, the song quieted again, slowing the melody down, fading it out until the last note.

"Wow." The redhead looked at the third-year; trying not to smile at her impressed facial expression. "You're amazing, Maki; I've never seen someone play this close before. It's so elegant."

"Thank you," the younger girl replied, letting her fingers roam the keyboard before she lightly tapped on one.

"Nico's so lucky," Eli commented, putting her phone into her pocket, "she can listen to you play whenever she wants."

"If she's not too busy," the redhead stated faster than her mind could register what she was saying, but she didn't take it back, knowing she was right anyway. She was busy, Nico was busy…that's how it's going to be for the rest of their lives.

The third-year stared at Maki as if searching for something to say back, but Maki waved her hand to turn the subject around. "It's nothing," she stated, "of course we'd be busy either way; we just need to learn to deal with it."

"I don't think 'deal' is the right word," Eli replied in thought. "I'm sure Nico is thinking the same thing though; she's been stressed this whole month now."

"She has?" Maki asked in utter surprise.

The older girl turned to her, a smile creeping on her face. "I guess you haven't noticed since you've been practicing," she said. "She's been with Nozomi most of the time to study, but she's been really unfocused as graduation nears."

"O – oh…"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she graduates," Eli promised with a wink.

"Thanks."

The blonde stood up, fixing her skirt as Maki silently watched her. "I better get going before they start wondering where I am," she stated, "and I should study too; finals are next week already."

Maki wished her luck as the third-year walked towards the sliding door; Eli acknowledged her with a wave of the hand. The redhead put the remaining stuff in her school bag as the older girl stepped through the threshold.

"Oh and Maki," she called, a hand on the door; the first-year looked up. "Good luck to you too."

"Ye – sure."

Eli smiled before sliding the door closed, her footsteps echoing through the empty halls, fading away with every step. Maki listened before slinging her bag on her shoulders, standing up to leave as well. She checked her watch, the time reading four in the afternoon. She sighed before making her way to the door; as she reached a hand out, her phone vibrated in her bag, grabbing her attention.

The first-year reached in to retrieve it, opening it to find a new message from Nico. She smiled, her ears slightly burning red but in a good way; she stuffed it back into her bag before continuing on her way out.

"I miss you."

"That test was brutal," Nico complained as soon as the last sheet of paper was turned in to the teacher in front. The raven-haired put her head on the desk, ready to fall asleep at any moment.

"It wasn't that bad," Nozomi remarked, turning around to talk to her.

The raven-haired groaned as she looked up at her childhood friend. "You understand math better than I do," she replied with a glare. "I'm pretty sure I failed that one."

"For someone who's always so confident," the older girl started, "you put yourself down way too much."

"Whatever." Nico leaned into the back of her chair, her arms crossed as she looked out the window.

And there she was, across the courtyard, sitting on her desk with a pencil in her hand and her face in her notebook. Maki carefully wrote; her back straight with her hand steady…so this is what strict piano playing does to you.

The redhead looked up as Rin approached her, stretching before leaning down on the older girl's desk to look at what she was doing. She pointed at it, her mouth opening and closing as she spoke; Maki spoke calmly, her pen flipping between her fingers.

Rin stood up straight, her hands behind her back as she swayed side-to-side before she looked out the window. She pointed in Nico's direction before she practically jumped over the taller girl's desk; she swung the window open, yelling, "Hello, Nico-chan, nya!"

The third-year scrunched her eyebrows as Nozomi also turned to watch. "Hey, guess what?" the orange-haired continued, her arm waving in the air before she gestured towards the flustered Maki. "Maki-chan is – "

But she was unable to finish as the redhead grabbed her to pull her back into the classroom before she stuck of head out the window. "Don't listen to her!" she shouted before closing the window in haste.

The purple-haired chuckled. "She's really opened up, hasn't she?" she commented, smiling at Nico.

"You think so?" the shorter girl asked, watching the first-years for a few seconds longer before she turned back to her childhood friend. "I still have a hard time getting her to talk."

"Well, she's still learning, but it's a start," Nozomi replied.

The raven-haired grinned. "Yeah, it is." She watched them again, Hanayo having joined them in order to keep Rin under control. Maki continued to talk to them as if explaining something only for the orange-haired to jump on her with millions of questions.

"Should we head over to my place to study?" The two girls looked up to find Eli standing over them, her bag packed.

"Well, don't you look so cute, all ready to go," Nozomi teased with a huge grin; the blonde turned bright pink.

Nico faked gagged as the purple-haired stood up as well, slinging her bag over. "C'mon, Nicocchi," she started before grabbing Eli's hand. "We should get going; tomorrow's subject is the hardest for you."

The shorter girl sighed before also standing up. "Let's hit it."

"Please don't write that on the English test tomorrow," Eli pleaded as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Nico rolled her eyes. "Like I would," she stated.

"Let's go; we're wasting time here," Nozomi said, walking first with Eli in hand. "We only have two more days."

The raven-haired nodded in agreement, taking one last turn to watch as Maki, Rin, and Hanayo were also leaving, the orange-haired leading the way. For whatever reason, Maki turned her head, making eye contact with the third-year; she waved with a small grin, prompting Nico to wave back before she turned around to catch up to the other two.

"Coming, Nico?" the blonde asked, sticking her head into the room.

"Ah, yeah," the older girl responded, jogging to reach Eli before she slowed down.

Two more.

"Nicocchi!" Nozomi suddenly shouted; she could hear the older girl skipping through the desks as she laid her head on the cold surface. It wasn't until Nozomi slammed her hands on the counter did Nico look up, but with no urgency.

"Really?" she deadpanned, glaring at the taller girl. "We just finished exams and you're bothering me now?"

The purple-haired ignored her question, smiling down at her. "Guess who came to pick you up today?" she teased.

Nozomi gestured to the sliding door; the shorter girl's eyes followed carefully until they stopped on red hair, waiting patiently at the threshold. She quietly twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, her eyes scanning the classroom floor.

Nico grinned but then frowned when she noticed her childhood friend was still watching her. "Would it kill you to stop ruining the mood?"

"Yeah, just a little bit," the older girl mocked before she walked away and towards Maki. The movement caught the first-year's attention, looking up just as the purple-haired leaned in closer, whispering something into her ear that was inaudible to Nico. The younger girl's cheeks turned bright red as Nozomi strode down the hall.

The raven-haired quickly stood up, scrambling to grab her bag and blazer; she ran to the first-year, hastily asking, "What did she say? Did she say something weird?"

"N – nothing," Maki replied, turning her head away.

The third-year huffed in disappointment, her upper lip out in a pout. "So annoying," she muttered under her breath; she looked up at the redhead with suspicion. "You're not practicing today?"

"I am," the younger girl replied firmly, her embarrassment having subsided. "I just thought…"

"Thought?"

Maki looked at her for a split second before she shifted her gaze to the ceiling. "I just thought you could…accompany me?" Nico tried to hold in her laughter, but failed as it burst out of her body. "I'm leaving."

The third-year grabbed her wrist without trying to stop her laughter, saying in between breaths, "I'll come; it's just…you're so – oh my god, I can't."

"I'm going."

"I'm just kidding," Nico tried to recover, keeping a firm grip on her partner as Maki started walking away; the older girl followed, realizing with a smile that the redhead didn't even try to escape her. "So we're heading to the music room?"

"Yeah, since you're done with exams, I thought I could show you something," the first-year told her, continuing to stride down the hallway with Nico not far behind.

"Did Maki-chan make me something?" the raven-haired teased with a smirk that Maki caught when she turned around; she rolled her eyes.

"Not if you act like that." The older girl pouted.

They continued to make their way in silence, the tapping of their shoes the only sound that could be heard as most of the students had left already. With the third years celebrating the end of high school a day early and the rest of the school running around with freedom, it was rather bittersweet.

"Nico-chan." The older girl snapped up from her daze, looking into Maki's confused, but concerned eyes. "You're squeezing my wrist a bit too tight," she informed.

Nico quickly let go, letting out an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry."

The redhead opened the door to the music room, stepping through as the third-year followed; Nico closed the door with a light click, walking towards the piano as Maki sat down on the bench. She scooted over as if she was asking the raven-haired to sit next to her; she took the offer, carefully sitting in front of the instrument as Maki lifted the fallboard.

"So what are you going to play me?" Nico asked.

"Something I wrote," the younger girl responded without looking her way, readying herself.

"For me?" the raven-haired teased with a wide smile; the tips of Maki's ears turned red. "I knew it."

"Just shut up and listen."

Nico's eyes narrowed. "Way to ruin the mood."

Maki didn't reply as she gently put her hands on the piano keys, breathing in and out before her pointer finger pressed down. It was slow, in a cautious type of way as if it was uncertain about something. But then it sped up a little, not fast like someone going head first into the unknown, but as if it started to slowly open up. The soft melody was mesmerizing until the redhead started to play louder, giving her all to express everything she wanted to but couldn't say. With such passion and gentleness, Nico was sucked in by the words that couldn't be said out loud. But then it suddenly stopped only to be replaced by the softness of the song like it was content, happy, but still ready for everything that's to come.

When the first-year finished, it was quiet for another minute, as Nico stared at the piano, mouth slightly open in astonishment. Her eyes scanned the board as she thought of something to say, searching for words to make a sentence.

"You don't have to say anything," the younger girl said, still looking down at the keyboard. "It's just…sort of, a graduation gift." Nico opened her mouth, but the redhead continued, "I didn't know what to get you since…well – "

"I love it."

"You don't have to lie."

Nico glared. "I love it, Maki-chan," she repeated, but with more irritation. "It's beautiful…it's – I don't even know if words could actually describe it."

"Now you're just going too far," the first-year deadpanned.

The older girl sighed before saying, "Just accept my compliment, would you? You're so hard to please."

Maki squeezed the raven-haired's cheeks with her hand, bringing her toward her to kiss her; it was short, but still sweet, although Nico could do without the slight pain from the first-year's grip.

"If you wanted to kiss me," the shorter girl started, still within the redhead's grasp, "you should've just said so."

The ringing of Nico's phone beat Maki's reply, the loud music playing within her pocket. She answered it, listening intently before she raised an eyebrow for a split second; she looked directly at the redhead who was quietly watching her, smiling at her before quietly kissing her on the nose. The younger girl blinked in surprise, touching her nose as Nico winked; the first-year's eyes narrowed.

"Okay, I'll be home soon," she finally replied before hanging up and shoving the object back into her pocket. "Sorry, Maki-chan, my siblings are calling for me."

"It's fine," the taller girl said, standing up first. "You should also celebrate the end of exams. I have to practice a little more so don't worry about me."

Nico slightly smiled, following her partner's lead. "I'll be leaving first then," she stated, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Don't miss me too much."

"Not possible."

"Hurtful."

Maki grinned. "Hurry before they start worrying," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The older girl nodded once in agreement before striding towards the exit. She slid the door open as Maki also prepared to leave; she turned around once to watch her for a split second before actually leaving.

Tomorrow.

"Where are they?! Where are they, nya?!" Rin jumped around in an effort to find the third-years in the huge crowd of graduates, proud parents, and crying underclassmen. After the ceremony, it was a huge mess of people scrambling to find whoever they were looking for; it was crazy how crowded of a graduation this was for such a small school.

"Rin-chan," Hanayo started, trying to keep a good distance as to not get hit from Rin's flying arms, "we'll find them eventually, but you shouldn't be jumping around."

The orange-haired pouted, her jumping coming to a halt. "They might leave, nya!" she whined. "I want to see them before then."

Maki sighed as she twirled a strand of her hair, her eyes slowly scanning the crowd without the other two noticing. "I highly doubt they'd just leave," she remarked without a glance in their direction.

"Maki-chan is so mean," Rin commented, her nose scrunched up, but then it quickly softened in realization of something. "Oh, that's right; Nico-chan wouldn't just leave without seeing the love of her life."

The older girl's face spiked red as she turned to see the smirk on Rin's face. "Sh – shut up, Rin!" The orange-haired stuck her tongue out before jumping back when Maki tried to grab at her. "Get back here." They went around a frightened Hanayo a few times, Rin using her partner as a shield from the redhead's grasp.

"I found them!" Honoka yelled, pointing at the first-years in excitement.

"That's not who we were looking for," Umi groaned, following behind the ginger-haired girl with Kotori beside her.

Honoka smiled despite her childhood friend's unamused expression. "Yeah, but they're our friends too," she pointed out.

The blue-haired muttered something under her breath as Kotori giggled. "Don't be so harsh, Umi-chan, she's just happy right now," she chided, making her way over to the first-years. "We're all looking for the same people anyways."

"So you haven't found them either, nya?" Rin asked, frowning when the second-years shook their heads. "Aw man…what if we miss them?"

"Eli told us to wait for them after the ceremony," Umi informed them. "Said she wanted to make sure we all had a proper goodbye."

"Goodbye?!" Honoka repeated, water building up in her eyes.

Kotori reacted first, quickly trying to calm her by saying, "Not a real goodbye; we'll still see them and hang out when we all can." But the ginger-haired didn't buy it, her bottom lip quivering.

Rin's eyes went wide, her lip contorted into a huge frown as she tried to keep her tears in check. "Don't cry, Honoka-chan," she said, her voice cracking just a little, "cause…I might cry."

"There you all are," they heard. They turned their attention to Nozomi, a diploma in hand as she continued to smile at the first-years.

"Nozomi-chan!" Rin shouted, hopping over to her before she was close enough to wrap her arms around the older girl. "Congratulations, nya!"

The purple-haired giggled, petting the first-year's head. "Thank you, Rin-chan." And before she knew it, Hanayo also ran towards her, tears straining Nozomi's blazer. "Don't cry, Hanayo-chan; we'll all still be together."

"B – but – but – "

"Oh, it looks like fun over here," Eli commented, making her way over to the group; it wasn't long before Rin and Hanayo ran over to her, Honoka following after. "Wh – what's wrong?"

"Just emotions running high," her partner explained with a grin.

"Ah, is that so?" the blonde laughed, petting their heads one-by-one before hugging them back.

Maki watched, not having moved an inch since the second-years arrived; she did feel sad at the sight of the older girls holding their diplomas, ready to take on the world beyond high school. It was bittersweet, knowing that it was a great step in life, moving from a huge part that seemed never-ending, but knowing that times like this wouldn't come so easily anymore.

"Hey, Maki-chan."

The redhead turned to her right to find Nozomi standing beside her. "Have you seen Nicocchi yet?"

"Not yet," she quickly replied, a little upset by that fact.

The purple-haired hummed, hands behind her back as she leaned at the hips towards Maki. "Oh, is Maki-chan upset?"

"Eh?!" She was getting tired of being teased, but it was completely true so she really couldn't argue back so instead, she turned her head to hide the pink that glowed on her face.

"Are you scared?" the third-year suddenly asked as Umi tried to pry Honoka off of Eli who was simply chuckling at the younger girls.

Maki blinked once. "Of what?"

The purple-haired shrugged before asking again, "Are you scared?"

And it all just came at her at once, all the worries and fears that had been pecking at her rushed through as if this was the time to be thinking about it. She knew she shouldn't be worrying about it right now when it was supposed to be about Nico, about the third-years. She hated feeling troubled, feeling like the world was going to stop turning at any moment, like she'd be lost for who knows how long. She was utterly afraid of the things coming her way, but right now, it wasn't about her.

"A little," she replied, but she could tell by the way Nozomi sincerely grinned that she had caught the doubt within her.

"It's amazing, how much you and Nicocchi have grown," she remarked; Maki had to take a second longer to process those words. "It's as if – " She suddenly stopped before smiling, confusing the first-year even more. "Nothing." Maki almost wanted to shout at her for being so strange, but she wouldn't, at least not today.

"Nicocchi wouldn't shut up about you," Nozomi informed her, looking out into the crowd of people around them, "she always talks about you even if she's complaining." Maki stared at the purple-haired till she followed her gaze, taking a deep breath in when she found ruby eyes looking into hers from a few feet away; Nico smiled when their eyes met, giving the first-year her famous hand sign before continuing to speak to her mother.

"Isn't love something?" the third-year said.

"Yeah," Maki unconsciously replied as Nico waved to her family before striding towards them.

"Make good decisions," Nozomi advised before making her way back to the rest of the group before the raven-haired could reach them.

"Hey."

"Congratulations," the redhead said, still a bit awe-stricken.

"Thanks," the older girl grinned, watching the other girls make fools of themselves before turning back to Maki. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Huh?" The first-year looked from Nico to the others, pointing to them. "But what about…?"

Nico observed them again: Rin and Honoka continued to cry with big puppy eyes as Hanayo stuck to Nozomi like a child and her mother. Kotori talked to Eli as Umi kept the crying girls in check.

"They'll be fine," she commented. "C'mon, they probably won't even notice we left."

"And if they do?" Maki inquired as the raven-haired grabbed her hand, leading her through the mass still standing in the courtyard.

Nico turned her head, a huge smile on her face. "Let's leave that to their imagination."

The forecast had been right: the cherry blossoms had bloomed earlier this year, the trees surrounding them shining bright pink under the sunlight. It was beautiful, fascinating to the eyes that Maki had no choice but to stare up.

Nico walked a little ways ahead; her footsteps slow, but big. She swayed her hips with each step, humming to a song Maki couldn't really recognize at the top of her head; she looked around her, the trail filled with trees of falling cherry blossoms, blowing with the wind surrounding them.

"I can't believe they've already bloomed," Nico commented as she turned to face Maki, taking small steps backwards.

"They did say it was going to be early this year," the redhead informed her, continuing to walk at her pace. "So I'm not that surprised."

The third-year frowned. "Why do you got to be such a downer?" she questioned, halting for Maki to catch up to her. "It's amazing; just appreciate the view, won't you?"

The younger girl stopped in front of Nico, looking down at her with her usual somber expression before a small grin broke through. "I am appreciating it," she said; Nico turned red.

"Oh, now you want to flirt," she remarked, hands on her hips, as she looked Maki in the eye with a scowl.

Maki's grin widened just a bit more before she stepped around the raven-haired to continue walking the trail. "I can do whatever I want," she teased, twisting her head enough to catch Nico's glare. "Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

The third-year jogged over to her partner, slowing down when she stood next to her only to grab her hand as she said, "There, now you can't leave without me."

"Like I would."

"Would you stop that?" Nico argued, a bright flush of red across her face. "Nishikino Maki isn't supposed to blatantly flirt with me."

"That was a statement," the taller girl remarked, "but you'll just have to live with it."

The older girl didn't reply, but Maki didn't mind mostly because she had most of her fun messing with Nico and her silence just meant that the redhead had done her job. But when she glanced down at the third-year, her heart panged just a little at the way Nico looked, like she'd seen a ghost, almost like something was bothering her but she couldn't find the words to say it.

"Want to take a break?" the first-year asked, stopping her stride.

"Sure," the shorter girl smiled, or tried to. Maki lead the way off the trail and under one of the cherry blossom trees to hide from the blaring sun.

They stood there in silence, both watching side-by-side as a group of elementary kids passed by on their bikes, one speeding by after the other. They laughed and shouted at each other, their voices filling up the blue sky for a minute or two before it disappeared.

"Must be fun being a kid at their age," Nico suddenly said.

"Where did that come from?" the younger girl inquired with a raised eyebrow.

The raven-haired looked at her partner as if the question was a bit unexpected, but she replied anyways. "You know, no worries or anything."

There was that word again: worries. It made Maki feel that slight tug of her heart as her mind filled with already existing thoughts that she had tried to suppress for the time being.

"Are you worried?" she asked Nico.

"Worried?" the third-year echoed in a confused tone. "About a lot of things, yes. Are you…worried?"

The redhead started to twirl a strand of hair. "Sort of," she replied, her eyes looking around Nico, but not at her.

"Like what?" the older girl asked, curiously.

The question caught Maki off-guard, her eyes searching her partner's face for some sort of sign that she was mocking her or was getting ready to tease the hell out of her for her next reply, but there was nothing. Nothing but concern.

"Like about tomorrow or the week after, sometimes I think about the next year," she stated slowly.

"What about us?"

The taller girl hesitated, her heart thumping against her chest. "Y – yes."

The older girl hummed while nodding as if taking time to process that Maki actually admitted to something like that. She stayed quiet for a few more moments, her eyes trailing from Maki's eyes to her lips then to the grass under them.

Nico chuckled, mostly out of nervousness. "That was uncalled for," she commented, trying not to laugh again; the redhead's eyebrows scrunched up. "I wasn't expecting that answer."

"What were you expecting?"

The third-year made a face, supposedly trying to copy Maki's usual disinterested facial expression, an arm crossed at her chest as she twirled her hair within her fingers. "'No,'" she mocked in her most Maki-like voice.

Maki made the same expression while saying in almost the same tone, "I don't sound like that."

"You just did it," the older girl argued, pointing at her in accusation; the redhead pursed her lips in embarrassment. "What a loser." The first-year's lip twitched but she didn't say anymore to not give her partner even more things to tease her about, but then Nico spoke again, "I'm worried too – " Maki's eyes softened, " – about my career, about my family, about you, mostly us."

The taller girl bit her bottom lip. "But that's life, right?" Nico continued with a grin. "This year has just been one hell of a ride."

"You think so?"

"You don't?"

The redhead shook her head. "I do."

They stared at each other, both of them looking for the next words to say but the silence between them wasn't awkward, it was actually comforting to know that they felt the same way about a lot of things.

"I'll be busy this coming summer," Nico said as if she was informing the person at the cash register that she wanted the hamburger with extra fries.

"I know," Maki replied.

"It won't be easy," the third-year continued; Maki knew she was talking about their relationship and not her career.

"I can imagine."

"I might be gone every few weeks."

"That's inevitable."

"And you'll be busy with school and piano recitals."

"As you've seen."

Nico pursed her lips. "We might not talk as much."

"I'm prepared."

"And I'll probably cry every once in a while.

Maki tried not to laugh, deciding to grin instead so as not hold it all in. "Why would you cry?"

"Because I miss you."

The first-year could feel her pulse accelerating. "And I'll miss you, too."

"It's amazing how honest you're being right now," the raven-haired remarked with a small smile. "A year ago, you wouldn't even admit you were hungry."

"That's because I wasn't," the younger girl argued.

"Tell that to your loud stomach." Maki puffed her cheeks out. "It is a little unreal, but I'm glad I'm not dreaming."

"Me too." Maki glanced at the ground before her eyes flickered back to the raven-haired. "I have something for you."

"For me?" Nico faked surprise with a soft gasp, gesturing at herself.

The first-year rolled her eyes before fishing through her blazer pocket, taking out a small rectangle, wrapped in wrapping paper. The shorter girl took it into her own hands, looking at her partner for some sign that she could open it. "Go ahead."

Nico slowly unwrapped it as if she was trying to preserve the paper; the redhead thought it was cute until she started to get a little impatient. The older girl eventually unraveled the whole thing, opening the case and staring wide-eyed at the present.

"It's so pretty," she commented, looking at the necklace. It was silver, plain except for the small ruby gem that shined in the middle. "That's my birthstone."

"Here – " The redhead extended her hand out to her, " – I'll put it on for you."

The older girl let her, handing the case back; Maki slowly took the necklace out, setting the box back into her pocket as she stepped around Nico. She wrapped it around her neck, carefully locking it before gently letting it rest. "Just something to remember me when you're away," she told her with sincerity, but when Nico didn't say anything, Maki felt dread wash over her. "What's wrong?"

"I have something for you, too," the third-year stated without bothering to look at her.

The first-year stilled in confusion, an eyebrow raised as Nico turned around, a small grin on her face, but her movements told Maki that there was more to be told.

"Close your eyes," Nico instructed her, but not in her usual cocky way; it was anxious, a little jumpy, but still Nico.

Maki followed without question, closing them almost instantly; she heard the older girl giggle under her breath, probably because the first-year actually obeyed her without some snide remark, but then she heard a quiet sigh, one that sounded a little too scared for her liking. Was Nico going to just run and leave her? Was she being pranked right now?

It went silent for the next minute, no sounds but the wind blowing through the trees filled the redhead's ears. She raised an eyebrow, her heart thumping from the possibility that she was standing by herself in the middle of the park, eyes closed and fully vulnerable.

"Nico-chan?"

"Okay, open them," Nico told her; her voice comforted the younger girl.

Maki slowly opened them, blinking when Nico wasn't the first thing she saw, but the tree that was behind her was. But then she looked down, breath hitching as her heart practically stopped at the sight.

Nico.

On one knee.

With a ring in her hands.

"Nishikino Maki," she started, a slight crack in her voice; the younger girl chuckled as Nico cleared her throat. "I know there's a long road ahead of us, one we're both going to love and hate at the same time. There's a lot of things that will be said and a lot of things that won't; there will be battles we'll fight together and battles we'll fight against each other. I know I'm not perfect and you're not either – " Maki could feel the water building up as her hands trembled, " – but when we're together, that doesn't matter to me. You're everything I could ask for and more and never in my life have I been so sure about anything than at this moment."

The redhead breathed in deeply as to try and stop herself from crying, but the moment a few tears rolled down Nico's, she didn't hold back.

"Will you marry me?"

She smiled behind it, wiping at them as best as she could before chuckling to calm herself down. "Of course."

Nico let out a relieved sigh, clutching at her chest. "I thought you'd say no," she admitted with an embarrassed grin. She stood up, taking the ring out before slipping it onto Maki's ring finger. "There, so no one will hit on you."

The first-year sighed, but appreciated the joke nonetheless. "You're one of a kind, aren't you?"

"The one and only," the raven-haired stated.

Maki kissed her forehead before hearing the older girl huff in discontent. "What?"

"That's all I get: a kiss on the forehead?" She put her hands at her hips. "I just proposed, you know."

The younger girl shook her head before slowly leaning down, stopping only a few inches away from Nico's face. "Let me think about it."

The third-year's eyebrows scrunched up. "Time's up."

She wrapped her arms around Maki's neck, pulling her in till their lips met. The taller girl stared wide-eyed in surprise before kissing the raven-haired back, pulling her in by the waist as her bottom lip fit in between Nico's, pressing their bodies tightly against each other that not even the passing wind could pass through.

They knew this was only the beginning to so much more; it was the start to everything that was headed their way. They knew life would bring out the best and worst of them, they may fight and shout and cry. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't laugh and kiss and love. Because that's who they were and who they were were perfect for each other. That's all that mattered; although everything wasn't perfect, it was perfect at this moment.

Right here.

Under the cherry blossoms.

終わり。

（みんなさん本当ありがとう！とても嬉しいが、これは終わりから、少し悲しい。あなたは楽しかったの。）

昔々、an idea was created and a story was born.

I do just want to thank every single one of my readers for sticking with me for over a year with this story. It's been one heck of a ride and I couldn't ask for any other fic to have started with. I truly appreciate all the support I've gotten over the past year and I thank you all for helping me to improve in my writing. I had a lot of fun writing this and I'm sad that it has come to an end. I do plan to continue writing but with such little time and goals to fulfill, I cannot promise a lot; with that being said, you can still follow me on tumblr ( nikoxnii) for more.

Thank you so much! And I hope to see you all in the near future :)